Josh Kelley Relocates Family to Utah to Work on New Music

For Josh Kelley, the state of Utah has always been a special place to visit. It’s where he and wife Katherine Heigl got married four years ago, and a place they enjoy taking their daughters as often as possible. Now, the famed couple have relocated to Utah for the entire summer to enjoy the beauty and inspiration, all of which the singer hopes will translate on his forthcoming new album.

“I rented a U-Haul and took my whole H-D rig studio all the way up here,” Kelley told Taste of Country over the phone, as he and his wife sat by a lake fishing with their newborn daughter “Addie” close by.

“I drove it from California to here. I’m just going to make music all summer,” the singer spills. “I’ve already written about 72 songs right now in the can, and I’m just going to keep writing all summer. I have a bunch of different writers from Nashville who are actually going to be flying out here to do some writing and some fly fishing and some horseback riding and chillin’ and some drinkin’ — in no particular order [laughs]!”

“We fell in love with it Utah over the years,” Kelley admits. “I’ve been coming out here since I was a kid, and Katie did a movie out here when she was younger. Once you spend a summer here, you realize it’s probably the best kept secret on the planet. If it’s a secret, it’s not anymore [laughs]. It’s just beautiful. It never gets humid. It’s not a humid place. It gets hot though, so you can have some really great summers.”

With the summer touring months quickly approaching, Kelley says he will slip away from his little paradise to do some performances here and there at fairs and festivals, but his main focus during this time will be on family and popping out new music.

“I think that’s what’s going to take me the furthest, and that’s what I want to use to take me to the next level on this next album,” notes Kelley. “I want to make something that’s going to knock peoples socks off. That’s the plan. I feel like I had really good success with ‘Georgia Clay,’ and I feel like it let everybody know that I’m here and am looking to stay. This album is going to be special. It’s time to tear the walls down.”